Mobile telephony: our advice to change operator easily

Operators regularly make offers to attract new customers and some are really interesting. But do you know how to terminate your plan properly and at no extra cost? Here are our tips for doing this.

To start, you must be the owner of the line you want to close. It seems obvious but you have to think about it when it is your spouse or a relative who opened the line and failed to put it in your name …

Keep your phone number

If you terminate your contract with one operator, it is probably to turn to another. If you want to keep your number, you must go through a portability operation, a procedure put in place by Arcep in 2007 to simplify the change of operator.

First thing to do: obtain your RIO code (operator identity statement). To do this, all you have to do is call 3179 from the line you want to leave. A voice server will then tell you whether you are hired or not, and will also provide you with your precious key. Keep it then communicate it to your new operator when you subscribe, taking care to select the “number portability” option. You have nothing else to do: when you request portability of your number, the new operator is responsible for terminating your old line.

In addition, if you keep your old mobile, you will also have to remember to check that it is properly unlocked. This operation is free after six months of subscription. It is performed with the IMEI number, the unique identifier of your mobile, which you can find on the box of your smartphone, in the device or by typing * # 06 #. You will then need to access your customer area, on your operator’s site, before changing it.

What happens if you are still engaged?

You can change operator and obtain number portability even if you are hired by an operator. But the termination of your contract will result in costs, which will be added to your final bill. They vary depending on your situation.

• You are committed for 12 months and want to cancel your package: you will have to pay the remaining monthly payments until the end of the contract. Example: you subscribed until July 2018 and want to leave your operator in February. You will have to pay the remaining five monthly installments.
• You are committed for 24 months and want to terminate before the 12th month: you will have to pay the remaining monthly payments up to and including the 12th month, then a quarter of the monthly payments until the end of the contract.
• You are committed for 24 months and want to terminate after the 12th month: you will have to pay a quarter of the monthly payments until the end of the contract.

It may be possible to terminate your contract before its term and without charge. It is necessary for this to invoke a “legitimate reason” (dysfunction of the service, unilateral modification of the contract by the operator …) or in the context of special cases such as for example a case of over-indebtedness, a move to an uncovered area, illness or disability making it impossible to use the service, death, etc. Warning: theft or loss is not a legitimate reason for termination. You must therefore continue to pay for your package.

Do not hesitate to consult the general conditions of sale of your operator for more details. If you are in this case, remember to send with your registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt supporting documents to prove this particular case. And always keep a copy of your correspondence and documents.

Sometimes, to attract you to them, operators offer you a refund in the form of a credit for the few months of cancellation that your change will cost you. So study the offers carefully to see which one is the most advantageous.

What about non-binding packages?

Non-binding plans are extremely practical: they can be canceled at any time. With such a package, you can juggle between the most interesting offers of the moment, taking care to activate portability each time so as not to lose your mobile number.